Fewer than half of kids' playgrounds have smokefree signs, researchers from the University of Otago have found.
Only 44 percent of playgrounds surveyed across the lower half of the North Island had signs, which were often as small as a postcard.
Public health researcher Professor Nick Wilson says they need to be more prominent.
"Under half of the 63 playground we surveyed in the lower North Island didn't have any smokefree signs, and the quality of the signs was also a concern - they're often very small."
Prof Wilson says change needs to start at the top.
"This is a clear example where central government leadership is needed and they shouldn't just leave it up to the whim of local councils."
The signs could encourage smokers to quit and protect children, according to Prof Wilson.
New Zealand has an aim of being smokefree by 2025.
The new research was published in journal Tobacco Induced Diseases.
Newshub.
